Automatic air-brake coupling.



D. R. NUGEN.

AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1912.

1,084,955. Patented Jan.20,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO-,WASHINGTON, D. :4

D. R. N UGEN.

AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1912.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANIJGRAPH CO..WASHINGTON, D. c.

DORCIE R. NUGEN, OF AUBURN, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 26, 191 1.

Application filed July 16,1912. Serial No. 709,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Donorn R. NUGEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Auburn, in the county of Dekalb and State of Indiana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Brake Couplers, ofwhich the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to automatic air brake couplers, the object ofthe invention being to provide simple and reliable means forautomatically coupling together and uncoupling the air pipe lines withwhich the cars are provided, so as to avoid the necessity of a trainattendant going between the cars, as at present.

A further object of the invention is to so mount the parts of thecoupler that while normally held centered or in alinement with eachother with a yielding pressure, the said coupling members may readilyswing laterally or up and down, or in any direction to accommodatethemselves to the relative movement of the cars, in connection withwhich they are used, thereby rendering the coupling as a whole alwayseffective, whether the train is ascending or descending a grade, ormaking a curve.

lVith the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a bottom plan view, showing a sufficientportion of two cars to illustrate the application of the presentinvention thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through theconnections on one car. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section takenthrough the coupling heads. Fig. l is a perspective View of the mainhanger. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the spring holding bracket. Fig. 6is a detail perspective view of one end of the plunger guide, showingthe runner and guide rod. Fig. 7 is a detail bottom plan view on anenlarged scale showing the spring casing and the guiding and centeringmeans therefor.

It will be understood that one of the coupling devices of this inventionis applied to each end of a car and connected to the usual flexiblehose, so as to enable the cars to be coupled together end to end.

Each coupling device as a Whole embodies a swiveled plunger guide 1, inwhich is slidingly mounted a plunger 2 of tubular construction, andforming in efiect the end section of the air pipe line. This plunger 2which is adapted to slide readily through the plunger guide 1 isprovided within the guide with a shoulder 3, while between said shoulderand one end of the guide, there is arranged an expansion spring 4, theforce of which is utilized to press the plunger outward or toward theend of the car, so as to maintain the head thereof in engagement withthe complemental coupler.

The plunger guide 1 is mounted in a swivel ring 5, and in order toenable the plunger guide to oscillate, it is provided with oppositelyprojecting trunnions 6 which are received in holes 7 at the top andbottom of the ring 5. The ring is further provided, at opposite sidesand in the same horizontal plane, with trunnions 8 which enter openings9 in the pendant arms 10 of a main supporting bracket, embodying inaddition to the arms 10, base plates 11 adapted to be secured to thebottom of the car, said plates being connected by means of corner braces12 with the arms 10.

By the means just described, it will be seen that the plunger guide 1has a swiveled mounting within the supporting hanger, enabling it toswing upward or downward, laterally, or at an intermediate angle. Thispermits the plunger to accommodate its position readily at all times tothe movements of the car and the other coupler, in connection with whichit is used.

In order to center the plunger guide 1, said guide is provided at itsinner end with oppositely projecting studs 13, to which are connectedthe forward extremities of a pair of coiled contractile springs 14, theopposite ends of which are connected to eye bolts 15 mounted in slots 16extending lengthwise of a pair of cross bars 17 and 18 connected attheir ends by means of bolts 19 to the vertical legs 20 of a springholding bracket, which embodies, in addition to the legs 20, baseextensions or attaching portions 21 adapted to be bolted or otherwisesecured to the car body, beneath the same, the parts 20 and 21 beingfurther connected by means of corner braces 22. Furthermore, the legs 20are provided with longitudinal slots 23, in which the bolts 19 areadjustable for the purpose of varying the distance between the crossbars 17 and 18.

It will be seen by means of the construction of the spring holdingbracket, that the points of attachment of the rear extremities of thespring may be shifted either vertically or laterally, so as not tointerfere with the back and forth movements of the tubular plunger.

In order to prevent the plunger from turning within the plunger guide, arunner 24 is clamped thereon in rear of the guide, as shown, said runnercomprising a hook or loop 25 which receives a guide rod 26 pro jeotingfrom the end of the plunger guide. The guide is in the form of a bandwhich extends around the plunger 2 and is clamped thereon by means of abolt or screw, as shown. This runner, together with the guide rod,prevents the plunger from turning within the guide, and thereby holdsthe coupling head and pocket, hereinafter described, in proper positionat all times to be coupled with an adjoining plunger head. Furthermore,the runner acts as a stop bv coming into contact with the rear end orthe plunger guide to prevent the plunger from being pushed too farforward.

The plunger is provided at its outer end and on one side thereof with ahollow conical head 27, and on the opposite side of said plunger isarranged a correspondingly shaped pocket 28 adapted to receive the head27 of an adjoining coupler, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It will also beobserved that the pocket 28 is flared to some extent at its receivingend, as shown at 29, to facilitate the insertion of the head 27 therein.

At the inner end of the pocket 28, there is formed an annular shoulder30, against which the end of the conical head is adapted to abut whenthe coupling members are in operative relation to each other, and bypreference, said annular shoulder or seat 30 has a gasket 31 of rubberor some other pliable material applied thereto, so as to form antir-tight connection between the coupling members. Cent-rally the seat30 is provided with a port 32 which communicates with the lateralpassage 83 leading into the main passage 34 of the tubular plunger.

From the foregoing description, it will now be understood that thetubular plungers are held centered by the centering springs 14 whichyield to permit the plunger guides to swivel in their supporting hangersto accommodate the movements of the cars on the track. Therefore, thecoupling heads are always maintained in proper position to engage eachother, when the cars are pushed together. Furthermore, by reason of theparticular arrangement of heads and pockets at the adjacent ends of thetubular plungers, it matters not how the cars are brought together, allcars equipped with the coupling device of this invention may be readilyconnected up end to end, irrespective of which end is presented for thecoupling operation.

W hat is claimed is:

1. An automatic air brake coupler, comprising a spring-pressed tubularplunger connected with the air line, a conical head on. one side of theplunger, a conical head receiving pocket on the opposite side of theplunger, a centrally swiveled tubular guide for the plunger, and acontractile centering spring connecting one end of said guide with afixed point and extending in a plane parallel to the major axis of theswiveled guide when in its normal position.

2. An automatic air brake coupler, comprising a springpressed tubularplunger connected with the air line, a conical head on one side of theplunger, a conical head receiving pocket on the opposite side of theplunger, a centrally swiveled tubular guide for the plunger, pinsprojecting from opposite sides of one end of said plunger, and parallelcontractile centering springs attached at one end to said pins and. attheir opposite ends to fixed points, said springs extending in planesparallel to the major axis of the swiveled guide when in its nor- 1nalposition.

3. An automatic air brake coupler, comprising a spring pressed tubularplunger connected with the air line, a conical head on one side of theplunger, a conical head receiving pocket on the opposite side of theplunger, a swiveled tubular guide for the plunger, a guide rod on saidguide, and a combined runner and stop on the plunger movable along saidguide rod.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DORCIE R. NUGEN.

Witnesses:

AARON M. CARR, SAM. D. PoiunnoY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

